Capo tasto.



No. 656,904. 'Patented Aug. 28,1900.

Y T. M. FLETCHER.

CAPO TASTO.

(Application Bled Dec. 1, 1899.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES: NKENTOR.'

BY Z

ORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

THOMAS M. PLETOI-IER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CAPO TASTO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,904, dated August 28, 1900.

Application filed Decemherl, 1899. Serial No. 738,765. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. PLETCHEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Capo Tastes; and I do declare the followingrto be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices that are used in connection with guitars and like stringed musical instruments for` clamping all the strings to the finger-board to temporarily raise the pitch of the tones to a higher key; and the objects of myinvention are to provide such appliance of simple and improved form, which may be cheaply manufactured, so as to be furnished at a price within the means of the masses, and which shall be adapted to be folded when not in use into a small compass, so that it may be readily carried conveniently in a pocket of ones clothing.

The invention consists in a padded stringpressure bar, a hin'ged clasp, and a hinged spring-binder, all of new and novel form of construction and of novel combination and arrangement, as will be more particularly described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of my complete invention, showing the device as it appears when folded to be portable; Fig. 2, a side elevation showing the same as being unfolded ready for use; Fig. 3, a plan view showing the device opened out to its full length, eX- posing the inner surfaces; and Fig. 4, a transverse sectional View of a guitar-neck and showing my invention in elevation as it appears when in use upon a neck of medium dimensions, it being adapted to t both larger and smaller sizes than that indicated.

Similar letters of reference designate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In construction the string pressure-bar A is made of somewhat similar shape and sizes as those heretofore produced, in that it is ladapted to extend across a finger-board and bear upon all the strings simultaneously Without springing, and is provided at the under side with a pad D, preferably composed of cork, suitably cemented or otherwise attached to the bar, which I preferably make of either stiff brass or sheet-steel, and is approximately of the shape shown. One end of the bar is bifurcated and turned over as eyes a to receive a hinge-pin d, and to this is attached a clasp B, made similarly to the bar, but shorter, and having an eye b at one end fitting into the bifurcated end of the bar, the connection being substantially a hinge. The free end of the clasp is preferably turned over to form a finger-hold, as at e, and intermediately of the ends is a series of apertures,

as E', E2, E3, preferably oblong and extending transversely of the member. The opposite end of the bar A has an arm A', formed by bending the bar, as at 7o, at an acute angle near the end, and the end of the arm has eyes f similar to those at the other end of the bar A to receive a hinge-pin t'. Both the arm A' and the clasp B may be curved slightly if desired, so as to conform to the curvature of a guitar-neck 'in transverse section.

The spring-binder O is made of springsteel, tempered, preferably of the same width as the bar A., and is comparatively thin and extremely elastic, being rectangular and 0blong in cross-section, having parallel plane faces somewhat of the character of an ordinary clock-spring, but is normally straight and oblong in plan except at its free end, which is of reduced width, as at F, so as to fit into the apertures E' E2 E3, and the extremity Z is curved downwardly as a catch to prevent its accidentally sliding out of the apertures described. The opposite end of the binder has an eye h engaging the p in t', thus forming a hinge with the eyes j. When desired, a pad may be attached to the binder to prevent abrasion of the bottom of the guitar-neck, but as constructed I iind this an unnecessary expense, as I finish all the metallic parts smoothly and then nickel-plate them, and it will be noticed that by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the parts the binder simply bears against the bottom of IOO the neck without any abrading or sliding movement thereof whatever. The abrasion is prevented partly because of the fact that the bearing-surface is a plane face or fiat in distinction from those binders which are formed of strands of wire curved or variously coiled and having but a narrow bearing and partly because the hinge prevents both longitudinal and lateral horizontal movement of the binder relatively to the neck.

In practical use the bar A is placed across the top of the linger-board G, the pad D resting upon the strings I. The spring-binder C is then swungr under the neck ll, and its free end pressed upwardly with sufficient force to slightly bend the binder somewhat, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the clasp B is then moved against the end I and the latter permitted to enter that one of the apertures in the clasp which may be most suitable to maintain the desired tension, the shoulders 7' providing a stop against the inner face of the clasp. By a reverse manipulation the device may be as quickly removed as it is applied. All parts are thus positive in action and cannot get out of order. Therefore a reliable appliance may always be at hand when required for instant use, and such a capo tasto may be used interchangeably upon all sizes from the smallest to the largest instruments com monly in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters A Patent, is-

of the third member and having their free ends adapted to interlock one with the other.

A capo ytasto consisting of a string pressure-bar, a clasp hinged thereto and adapted to fold over against the pressure-bar, and a binder hinged te the opposite end of the pres-- sure-bar and adapted to also fold over against the pressure-bar.

4. In a capo tasto, the combination with the pressure-bar, of a clasp hinged at one end thereof and provided with a series of apertures therethrough, and a spring-binder having parallel oblong plane faces and adapted to engage the apertures in the clasp.

5. In a capo tasto, the combination with the pressure-bar, of an oblong spring-binder having parallel plane faces throughout and hinged at one end thereof, and a clasp hinged at the opposite end of the pressure-bar adapted to engage the free end ol' the binder.

G. In a capo tasto, the combination of the pressure-bar provided with the depending integral arm having the part of a hinge at the end thereof, the binder consisting of an oblong spring-steel plate having substantiallyparallel plane faces and an eye at one end thereof and hinged to said hinge portion of the pressure-har and provided at its opposite end with the reduced turned-down portion forming a catch, a clasp hinged at the opposite end of the pressure-bar and provided with the apertures adapted to receive said catch, and the pad attached to said pressurebar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. ILETCII'ER.

Witnesses:

XVM. C. THOMPSON, E. T. SILvIUs. 

